In this GNI issue, we’d love to share some of our favourite restaurants, bars and cafés serving great lunchtime dishes in and around the city, perfect for grabbing a little bit of something tasty during Pride season!
Table of Contents
2 Taps, Belfast.
Boasting one of the city’s largest outdoor terraces, 2Taps Winebar & Restaurant in the heart of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter is, without doubt, a GNI favourite! Creating the atmosphere of summer all year round, we love the warm welcome, Mediterranean vibes, and delicious sharing plates.
We began with a selection of breads with olives, salsa verde, pickles, tapenade, and dipping oils and Pimientos del Padrón with sea salt and lime.
From the Seafood section, we loved the Mussels in White Wine Cream with shaved fennel and crusty bread, and the Gambas Pil Pil: a classic Spanish favourite, with chilli oil and toasted sourdough
These were followed by some dishes from the veggie menu; Goat’s Cheese Salad with beetroot, pickled red onion, and candied walnuts, Halloumi Fries with truffle honey, and of course, it’s not a tapas meal without some Patatas Bravas with piquant bravas sauce, pickled chillies, and aioli.
And naturally, we had to have the 2Taps House Paella: the Chef’s mix of land and sea, in a delicious saffron rice. All accompanied by a glass of Sangria or two, this was a lovely sharing-style meal with the GNI family.
2Taps: continuing to bring fabulous culinary Spanish spirit to Belfast.
Bootleggers, Belfast.
Bootleggers is at the corner of Church Lane and Ann St in Belfast’s City Centre, and is a great spot for a few drinks and a bite to eat. With a nod to the days of 1920s Prohibition, when alcohol was outlawed in the States, there’s a great drinks list with quirky cocktails, local and American craft beer, and of course, Moonshine!
Food is served every day, from lunchtime until the evening, with great burgers, tacos, chicken wings, sides, and desserts on the street food-style menu.
We took full advantage of “Taco Tuesdays”, when all tacos and margaritas are £10 all day, and we loved the two veggie taco options; “My Big Fat Greek Taco”, with halloumi, fajita grilled vegetables, spring onions, and creamy tzatziki, and the “Crispy Cauliflower” with corn salsa, vegan sweet chilli mayo, coriander, and lettuce.
We also had some excellent sides; the Mozzarella Sticks were oozy, spectacularly stringy, and came with a tomato dip, and the Millionaire Tater Tots were drizzled with a truffle oil mayo, and a sprinkling of parmesan and chives.
Bootleggers has some great value deals on other days too, including Margarita Mondays, and Wing Wednesdays.
Bread Boys, Belfast.
A new sandwich shop experience has arrived in Belfast. But this is no ordinary sarnie counter, serving meagre fillings on bland white bread: Bread Boys on the Ormeau Rd is simply sensational, and has reimagined the humble sandwich, making it into something pretty special indeed.
With a turntable pumping out cracking disco hits to entertain you while you peruse the menu and put in your order, (there can be a bit of a wait at busy times, but trust us, it’s worth it!) and a great selection of “Boys”, beverages, and buns to choose from, Bread Boys immediately elevates the takeaway sandwich venue to another level.
We ordered the “G.O.A.T.Boy”, with creamy, whipped goat’s cheese, soft japanese omelette, spiced beetroot slaw, & walnut pesto, and the piquant “Spice Boy”, with tender spice bag crispy chicken, an oozy fried egg, asian slaw, Sriracha mayo, & sesame, both in toasted brioche.
The sandwiches were incredible; packed to overflowing with delicious, flavourful fillings, and were fantastic value for money. We also loved the fiery “Seasoned Fries”, and the Signature Iced Drinks; we had the “Tiramisu” and the “Ruby Chocolate”, which were a cooling delight in this warm weather, and brilliant when accompanied by the sweet cookies, pastries, and traybakes available.
Bread Boys has also recently introduced a terrific new plant-based sandwich option, stuffed with vegan stracciatella, miso mushrooms, and charred leeks.
And chatting to some of the already regular customers who were huge fans of the “Breakfast Boy” options, we’ll definitely be back to give those a go. Bread Boys: your local sandwich slingers!
General Merchants, East Belfast.
With three great restaurants to choose from across the city, on the Antrim Rd, Ormeau Rd, and the original Upper Newtownards Rd branch, General Merchants has a fantastic summertime menu with some light, refreshing options.
We called into our local General Merchants for a spot of brunch, and enjoyed a couple of glasses of Green Zest Iced Tea to accompany our dishes of “Harissa-La Vista Baby”; toasted Zac’s bakehouse sourdough topped with crushed falafel, roasted summer squash, pickled carrot, poached eggs, harissa yoghurt, seeds, and cress, and “In Tomato We Truss”; juicy heritage tomatoes surrounding a creamy ball of burrata, with toasted garlic focaccia, spiced almonds, sherry vinaigrette, chives, and bitter leaves.
General Merchants: always busy, with a loyal clientele, and often queued out the door. And it’s not difficult to see why with such delicious dishes on offer. Keep an eye out for late night weekend opening at General Merchants Ormeau Rd, for a great mix of plates and drinks.
Revolución de Cuba, Belfast.
Set in an iconic listed Art Nouveau building in Belfast’s city centre, Revolución de Cuba serves food and drink in a relaxed Havana-inspired space, with a menu to match.
With its Latin flavours, fresh tapas and an impressive selection of rums and tequilas, Revolución de Cuba is renowned for its mezzanine views, great cocktails, live entertainment, and South American rhythms.
And recently, the bar has introduced a brilliant Tapas Deal. From the authentic “Latin soul food” Tapas Menu, you can order any three dishes for only £15, and add a Margarita or a Paloma for just a fiver.
We went for the Gambas Pil Pil: juicy king prawns sautéed with garlic, chilli and smoked paprika, served with bread for dipping, the Calamari which was deliciously tender and came with a garlic aioli, and some Charred Halloumi on a piquant chilli jam with roasted peppers, sweet potatoes and courgettes.
No tapas selection would be complete without a portion of smoky Patatas Bravas topped with spicy tomato sauce and aioli, and we also shared some Birria Tacos: two grilled tortillas filled with melted cheese and topped with pico de gallo-we chose the veggie version of Cajun mushrooms and a jerk gravy for dipping. And the Nachos, topped with cheese sauce, homemade guacamole, sour cream, tomato salsa, and jalapeños, can be served “loaded” with either slow-cooked pulled beef, or a meat-free three bean chilli.
All in all, this Cuban-style “small plates” deal was exceptional value for money, and pretty tasty, to boot!
